Cotton-reginning machine.



Ize,

L. K. STEPHENS.

.COTTON BEGINNING MACHINE.

APPLlcATloN FILED JULY so. 1912.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BY f 46 ATTRN EY L. K. STEPHENS.

COTTON REGNNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IuLv 30, 1912.

Patented Feb. 13, 19H'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 INVENTOR wITNEssgs: j. I

ms PsrEI-Is cu.. mum-ums.. wAsHmc mu. u c.

LOUIS K. STEPHENS, OE DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOE, EY ivIEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To. GAENEE BEGIN MACHINERY COMPANY, OE HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

COT'lI'Ol\l"BEGINNINGl MACHINE.

Il ,215,71i1.

Application led July 30, 1912.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known thatl, LOUIS K. STEPHENS, a. citizen of the United States, residing at 1730 Fourth avenue, Dallas, in the county of Dallas and Stateot Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Beginning .Machines of which the following is a specification.

iii-y invention relates to a new and useful cotton reginning machine, and its object is to provide a machine, by which dirty or matted ginned cotton may be much improved in grade, by subjecting the same to a mechanical process by which the fibers will be separated from each other, reducing the cotton to a loose fluffy mass, and atthe same time removing dirt or other foreign substances :trom the same.

nother object is to provide a novel mechanism for reducing the cotton to a' loose fluily mass, which mechanism comprises a gin saw cylinder' and a brush cylin-` der mounted in the usual cooperative rela-v tion, and a pair Ot saw cylinders of comparatively small diameter mounted above the gin saw cylinder and spaced horizontally trom each other, cotton being fed be. tween 'the small cylinders to the gin saw cylinder, and the small cylinders being sub-V jected to a longitudinal reciprocating mo tion during the feeding process.

Finally` the object of the invention is to provide a. device of the character described, 'that v-:ill he strong, durable, simple, and cllicient, and comparatively easy to construct, and also one that will notI be likely to get out oi" working order.

With these aud various other objectsin view, my invention has relation to certain novel `features ot the construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following specication, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an end view of a cotton reginninff machine, in which are embodied the novel features constituting the present in vention.

llig. a detail view' showing a fragmentari'portion ot' the same end of the machine illustrated in F ig. l, this view serving to malte clear a certain transmission mechanism which is partially hidden by other parts in Fig. l. Y

Fig. 3 is another detail View, in which is shown an upper portion of the end of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

sena1N0.712,`253. i

tudinal' vertical section, the section being taken Aupon the line lV-WW of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 Yis a transverse vertical sectional Y view, taken. upon the line X-X of Fig.Y fl.

Figs. G and 7 are respectively a top and end view ot' a reciproca-ting frame which constitutes a feature of the invention.

, Fig. S is a detail sectional view showing the mounting of two sha-tts in one of the end trames ot the machine, the section be-V ingl taken vupon the line Y--Y of Fig. l.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of an eccentric `and eccentric rod by which a reciprocating motion may be communicated to the frame detailed in Figs. 6 and 7. t K

v Fig. l0 is a detail view ot a vertically ad' justable bearing adapted to Carry the extremities ot two shafts mounted at vright angles to each other.

Fig. 1l is a detail sectional view of a pair of bevel gears establishing a communication o'f rotation between two shafts, the section being taken upon the line Z-Z of Fig. 8.

Referring now more particularly to` the drawings, wherein like reference charactersk designate similar parts in all the figures, the nuun-aal-l denotes .two oppositely disposed 'frame members, one of which Supports each extremity ot' the machine. Each frame member is provided with a. pair of legs 2 having their feet bolted or otherwise secured to the extremities of two beams 3, extending longitudinally ot the machine beneath the same. T he upper portions of the Y kframe members l are furthermore rigidly connected by three elongated beams t, parallel to the beams The frame members l and 2 respectively support the extremities of two parallel shafts 5 and 6, said extremities bef ing each mounted in a bearing 7, oivoted between a pair of brackets 8 projecting outwardly trom the correlated member l. The trame members are each provided .with two Opposite slots 9 projecting toward each other from the lateral edges of the containing member, and the extremities of the shafts 5 and G are made to pass through the inner ends of the slots 9. By employing this construction, it is made possible to remove either shaft with such parts as it carries beiop Athe arrows in Fig. 5.

tween the frame members 1, by withdrawing the shaft laterally from its operative position in the machine. rlhe shaft 5 carries a plurality of gin saws 10, spaced from each other in the usual manner, said saws in conjunction forming a saw cylinder, extending substantially the entire length of the machine. The shaft 6 carries a brush cylinder 11, such as forms a feature of all gins, the bristles carried by said cylinder being made to contact with the teeth of the saws 1() in the usual well known manner. The two shafts 5 and G are made to project at one end of the machine some distance beyond their correlated bearings, and upon the shaft extremities thus projecting, there are mounted two driving pulleys 12, to which rotation may be communicated from any suitable source of motive power. The direction of the rotation communicated to each shaft is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5.

Beneath the cylinder formed by the saws 10 and slightly spaced from the same, there is mounted a semi-cylin ilrical screen 13, the extremities of which are mounted upon suit ably curved bars of angle iron 14. The outermost extremity of each bar 111 is pivotally mounted upon the correlated frame member 1, as is indicated by the numeral 15. rl`he innermost extremities of the two bars rest upon the ends of an elongated pipe 16, carried by a rod 17 passing through said pipe, the extremities cf said rod being respectively mounted in the members 1 adjacent to the lower edges of the same. Beneath the brush cylinder 11, there is mounted a semi-cylindrical casing 18, supported similarly to the screen 13, the ends of said casing being mounted upon suitably curved angle bars 14, each pivoted at its outer end vas indicated at 15, and having its inner end resting upon one of the extremities of the pipe 1G.

A short space above the cylinder coinprised by the saws 10, there are mounted two horizontally spaced saw cylinders 19, which have a diameter considerably less than, that of the saws 10. The teeth of the saws comprising` the two cylinders 19 are pointed oppositely as is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and the directions of the rotations which are impressed upon the two cylinders by a mechanism hereinafter described are also opposite, as is yindicated by ',he saw cylinders 19 are respectively mounted upon shafts 2O and 20a, the extremities of which shafts are journaled in bearings 21, two of which bearings are mounted contiguous with the outer surface of each frame member 1, between a pair of horizontal ribs 22, projecting perpendicularly from the correlated member 1. The shaft 20 is adapted to undergo a slight adjustment to or from the shaft 20, and in order to permit of such adjustment, the members 1 are respectively provided with horizontal slots 3 through which the extremities of the shaft 20 project. This lateral adjustment of the shaft 2O is effected through a corresponding displacement of the bearings supporting the extremities of said shaft. rThe adjustability is secured through mounting a rod 24. beneath each adjacent pair of bearings 21, said rod being slightly spaced vfrom the outer surface of the correlated member 1, and slidably mounted in bearings or brackets 25 integrally projecting from said member. Each rod 2l carries at one end an upwardly projecting arm 2G, contacting at its upper portion with the rear surface of the correlated adjustable bearing. At the other or front extremity of the rod 24, there is mounted a nut 2G, bearing against one of the brackets 25, the rod extremity being screw-threaded. to receive said nut. Between the two brackets 25 supporting each rod 2t, a coiled spring 2T is mounted upon said rod, tending to normally hold the same displaced to its forward limiting position of adjustment,

and consequently exerting a corresponding The mecheffect upon the parts 2O and 19. anism for communicating rotation to the two saw cylinders 19 will hereinafter be fully explained.

Upon each frame member 1, there is surmounted an upper frame member substantially triangular in form, and comprising three side pieces 2S, 29, and 30, integrally connected, the piece last specified being horizontal, and the other two being inclined eon- -vergently downward from the extremities of the piece 30. A. pair of legs 31 support each of the members formed by the parts 28, 29, and 30, the feet of said legs being rigidly secured to the correlated members 1. T he central. aperture inclosed by the parts 28, 29, and 30 is in each case closed by a sheet of galvanized iron 31 or by some other suitable material.

The upper portions of the two triangula frame members respectively support the extremities of two parallel horizontal shafts 32, vertical slots 32a being provided at the junctures of the top piece SOvwith the side pieces 2S and 29, through which slots.v the shaft extremities are passed. The bearings 33, which support said shaft extremities, are

slaced slightly from the outer surfaces of 1 the members 1, and arel carried at the lower ends of screw threaded rods 34, the upper ends of said rods being passed through ribs 35 one of which projects outwardly from the upper edge of each triangular member. l

vertical direction to permit the necessary amount of verticalV adjustment of the two shafts 32. The lowerrportions of the two triangular frames respectively support the extremities of two parallel horizontal shafts 36, said extremities being passed through apertures respectively provided at the lower extremities of the parts 28 and 29. rEhe aperture provided at the lower end of each member 28 will have the nature of a horizontal slot as indicated at 36a, thus permitting the shaft 36 which passes through the slots 36a to be adjusted to or from the other shaft 36. The stationary shaft 36 has one of its extremities provided with a bearing 37 carried by the upper end of a bracket 37 projecting integrally upward from a bar 37b, mounted transversely of the machine, and having its extremities secured to a pair of brackets 38 projecting integrally from the uppermost rib 22. The other extremity of the stationary shaft 36 may be provided with a. bearing aperture in the correlated triangular frame member. Each extremity ofthe adjustable shaft 36 is provided with a bearing 38a, integrally mounted upon the lower extremity of a bar 39h of l`sliaped cross-section, said bar being contiguous and parallel with the member 28 of the correlated triangular frame member, and being pivoted as indicated at 39a upon the upper portion of said member 28. In order to edect a horizontal displacement of the bearings 38a, each of said bearings is given a rigid connection with a rearwardly extending horizontal rod 39, slidably mounted in lugs 40 projecting integrally from the correlated triangular frame. Each of the rods 39 carries a collar 402L normally contiguous with the correlated lug 40 Vnearest adjacent to the correlated bearing 38a. A coiled pring 40b is interposed between the other lug 40 and the collar 40a, said spring serving to normally hold the correlated bearing 38a in its forward limiting position of adjustment. It will thus be seen that the adjustable shaft 36 if subjected to a force suflicient to overcome the two springs 40, will be free to undergo a limited amount of displacement rearwardly or from the stationary shaft 36, the bars 39b at the same time being swung rearwardly about their pivoted upper ends.

Upon each of the shafts 32 and 36, there aremounted three sprocket wheels 41, one of said wheels being disposed at the center of each shaft and the other two respectively adjacent to the triangular frame members. The sprocket wheels carried by the shafts 32 extending between the upper ends of the members 28 and 29 form pairs with the sprocket wheels carried by the shafts 36 extending between the lower ends of said members, each of the six pairs of wheels thus formed being made to carry a sprocket chain 42. Each set of three horizontallyv is maintained will now be described. Uponl an extremity of one of the shafts 32, there is mounted a drive pulley 45 to which the rotation indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5 may be communicated from any suitable source of motive power. Upon the other extremity of said shaft, and upon the corresponding extremity of the other shaft 32, two bevel gears 46 are respectively mounted. Each of the gears 46 engages a smaller bevel gear47, the two gears 47 being mounted fast upon a horizontal shaft 48, which has its extremities journaled in bearings 49, one of which isV integral with each of the bearings 33 adjacent to the extremities of Vthe shaft 48. lt will thus be seen that the intermeshed gears 46 and 47 and the shaft 48 together serve to establish a communication of rotation between the two shafts'32, said shafts being caused to rotate oppositely and thereby produce a downward travel of the opposite hopper-forming faces of the two aprons.

A description will now be given of a` train of gearing adapted to communicate rotationfrom the non-adjustable shaft 36 to the two saw cylinders 19. Between theA bracket 37' and the adjacent triangular frame member, a pinion 50 isvmoun'ted upon the non-adjustable shaft 86, which pinion .K

intermeshes with a gear lmounted upon a stud shaft 52 carried'by the lower portion of the bracket 37a. The gear 5l through engagement with apinion 53, carried by the non-adjustable shaft 20a, is adapted to communicate a rotation to said sha-ft such as is indicated bythe arrow in Eig. 2. The shaft 52 carries the forward extremity of a swinging link 54, which has its rear extremity pivotally connected with the upper end of a swinging link 55 carried at its lower end by the shaft 20. swinging links A54 and 55, a gear. 56 is mounted, which gear. has engagement with the gear 51 and also engages a pinion 57 mounted upon the adjacent extremity ofthe shaft 20, communicating to said shaft a rotation such as is indicated by the arrow in Fig.r2. The purpose of establishing the swinging linkage formed Vby the bars 54 and 55 is hereinafter made clear. f

A; description will now be given of a certain mechanism vby which ya reciprocating At the juncture of the twoV motion is communicated to the two shafts 20 and '20a in unison. Each of the triangular frame members is provided with two rearwardly projecting spaced brackets58,

said brackets being integral with the upper extremity of the members 28. Between each ypair of brackets '58 a pivoted bearing 59 is mounted, the two bearings 59 being horizontally alined. Within the bearings 59 are journaled the extremities of a shaft 60 adapted to be driven by a pulley 6l carried at one extremity of said shaft, the direction of rotation being` indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. At its other extremity, said shaft is made to carry a pulley 62, which pulley is adapted to communicate rotation through a downwardly extending quarter turned belt G3 to a pulley 64 mounted fast upon a shaft 65 transverse with the machine, and adjacent to the upper portion of the member l shown in Fi l. The shaft G5 is provided with three bearings 66, one receiving each extremity of said shaft and the other supporting the center portion of the same. Each bearing 66 is pivoted between a pair of vertically alined bracket members 67 projecting horizontally from the correlated member l. The shaft G5 carries two eccentrics (5S each operating a substantially horizontal eccentric rod b9 extending longitudinally of the machine and passing` through both frame members l, vertically elongated slots 70 being provided in said frame members to accommodate said eccentric rods. The free extremities of the two rods 69 are connected by a cross baril, to

, which bar are also secured the corresponding extremities of the two shafts 2O and 20a, the two shafts being so connected as to offer no impediment to rotation of the same. A horizontal slot 7:2 is provided in the bar 71 to receive the extremity of the shaft 9,0 so as to permit said shaft to undergo the necessary lateral adjustment.

It will thus be seen that the eccentric rods 69 and the cross bar 71 together form a longitudinally reciprocating frame engaging the two shafts Q0 and 20, and communicating a reciprocating motion to said shaft without interfering with the rotation thereof. It is to be observed that the two pinions 53 and 57 respectively carried by the shafts 20a and 20 are loosely keyed upon said shaft to permit the latter to re- Y ciprocate without communicating the reciprocating motion to said pinions.

The operation of the above described machine will now be fully discussed, and the functions of the various parts will be fully explained. The hopper formed between the two endless aprons carried by the chains 42 is intended to receive a constantly replenished supply of lint cotton, which due to dirt, moisture or some other cause has been lowered in grade. The gradual downward travel of the hoppers forming faces of the two aprons causes the cotton to be gradually discharged between the adjacent lower extremities of said aprons. Sincethe longitudinal opening between the lower ex-Y tremities of said aprons is vertically alined with the longitudinal opening between the saw cylinders 19, the cotton will be caught by the serrations of said cylinders and will be carried between the same. The saw cylinders 19 simultaneously undergo a uniform reciprocating motion and a gradual rotating motion, Ias has been previously ex-` tributed over a considerable number of the' saws 10 according to the reciprocating stroke of the cylinders 19. An important advantage is thus derived for the reason that a small quantity of cotton having a very low grade due to dirt or to any other cause, will not, after l'iaving been disintegratedl by the gin saws 10, be delivered to one certain portion of the brush 11 so as to cause the low grade mass of cotton to remain substantially a unit after treatment by the machine. The particles or fibers of the low grade mass will be distributed longitudinally of the saw cylinder l() due to the reciprocating motionV of the saw cylinders 19 and the low grade fibers will be so intermingled with a better grade of cotton as to materially improve the quality of the whole. Another important matter incident to this construction and arrangement of parts is that the cotton, being initially placed in an elongated upwardly extending hopper having a discharge passage at its bottom, is allowed to settle downV therein gradually under the action ofr gravity with a tendency to dispose itself in such way that a mass is formed which is al'iproximately uniform throughout in density. The flat converging aprons which form the side walls are assisted in producing a uniform bat. The aprons gradually increase the pressure on the mass which settles under gravity andV force through the lower throatway a comparatively compacted uniform bat, the components of which may be, and generally are, relatively small pieces of lint. They are compressed, however, into a self-sustaining bat which is fed downward directly toward the main saw cylinder. The intermediate cylinders or rollers are considerably smaller in diameter than are the apron rollers, and, consequently, the transverse plane through the bat where they exert their pressure can be brought close to the teeth of the saw cylinder, and the bat is held under compression at its forward edge until thebers are caught by the saw teeth. The grip upon the bat mass is intensified by Vneighbors and eiect a thorough separation of the bers from foreign materials, such as sand,vr grit, or similar bodies. The two small cylinders are relatively close together, the space between them being considerably narrower than that between the aprons at their` discharge throat, and. consequently, the small cylinders still further compress the bat after the initial compression has been edected by gravity and the action of the aprons.

As above noted, the saw cylinder is rotated at a high speed. The small cylinders or rolls 19, however, rotate at a relatively slow speed, and, being light, can have reciprocatory movements in directions which are longitudinal of the axis of the saw cylinder, without interference from their Y inertia. The bat is, as an entirety, moved laterally and axially of the cylinder by these intermediate cylinders or rollers. The short pieces of fiber or lint which may project toward the saw cylinder in planes'between one saw andthe next are bodily moved from one saw to another by the reciprocating movei ments of the small cylinders, so that there is an assurance that they will be caught by one set of teeth, or an adjacent set, and picked away from the mass at the forward edge of the bat; the purpose being to sepa rate each fiber from its neighbors in the bat to the greatest extent possible. As the fibers are being subjected to a rapid rotation by the gin saws 10, the dirt, dust and other foreign matters will be thrown through the screen 13, due to centrifugal force, thereby separating the same from .any bers that may also be thrown from the saw. The greater portion of the fibers will adhere to the saws and will be thus transmitted to the brush 11, and any of the fibers which may be thrown against the screen 13 will quickly be again taken up by the saws and transmitted-to the brush. The mechanical process carried out'by the machine will be completed when the vibers are taken up by the brush 11, and the means employed to remove the fibers from said brush may be of any common and well known form, as for example a current of air. Since the use of the screen 1.3 presents a possibility for some of the cotton fibers to pass through said screen along with the dirt and foreign matter, it may be observed at this point that in treating a cotton of comparatively good grade containing only a negligible quantity of foreign matter, or in mixing two or more different grades of cotton, an ir'nperforate casing similar to the casing 18 may be substituted for the screen 13. Either the screen 13 or the casing 18 may readily be removed by withdrawing the bolt 17 and thus allowing the Vpipe vto fall, and permitting the curved angle bars vlet to swing outwardly about their pivotal ypoints 15.

vBy making one of the two shafts 36 adjustable to or vfrom the other shaft, it isy made possible for the lower end of one Vof the traveling aprons to yield in case it is necessary for a mass or' cotton larger than usual to pass between the two aprons.

vThe invention is presented as including all such modications and changesY as properly come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1.111 a device of the character described, the combination with a gin saw lcylinder and a brush cylinder mounted in the usual cooperative relation, of a pair of saw Acylinders having a comparatively small diameter mounted 'above the gin saw cylinder and spaced horizontallyy from each other, means for subjecting said cylinders to a longitudinal reciprocating motion, a hopper mounted above the last named two cylinders and adapted to discharge material between the same, and means for communicating rotation to the saw cylinder, the brush ycylinder, and the two saw cylinders of small diameter.

2. In a device of the character described,

vthe combination with a gin saw cylinder and a brush cylinder mounted in the usual cooperative relation, of a pair of saw cylinders having a comparatively small diameter spaced vertically above the gin saw cylinder andhorizontally from eachother, means for communicating a longitudinal reciprocating motion to the last named two saw cylinders, a hopper mounted above said cylinder and adapted to discharge materialV between the same, the inclined side walls of said hopper being formed by downwardly traveling aprons, means for maintaining the travel of said aprons, and means for communicating rotationto the gin saw'cylind'er, the brush cylinder, and the two saw cylinders of comparatively small diameter.

3. In a device of the character described, the Vcombination with a gin saw cylinder and a brush cylinder mounted in the usual cooperative relation, of a pair of Vsaw cylinders having a comparatively small diameter mounted above the gin saw cylinder and spaced horizontally from each other, means for subjecting said small cylinders to a'lon`- gitudinal reciprocating motion, means for communicating opposite rotation to the saw cylinders of small diameter, and means for communicating rotation to the brush'cylinder and largesaw cylinder.

4. In a device 'of the character described, v

the combination with a ,gin saw cylinder N misma.

vmounted above the gin saw cylinder and adapted to 'feed material downwardly between the adjacent portions, means for subjecting said feed cylinders to longitudinal reciprocating motion, a means for communicating rotation to a large saw cylinder, the small feed cylinder and the brush cylinder.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a gin saw cylinder and a brush cylinder mounted in the usual co` operative relation, of a pair of saw cylinders having a comparatively small diameter spaced vertically above the gin saw cylinder and horizontally from each other, means for communicating al longitudinal reciprocating motion to the last named two saw cylinders, a hopper mounted above said cylinder and adapted to discharge material between the same, the inclined side walls of said hopper being formed by downwardly traveling aprons, means for maintaining the travel of said aprons, means resiliently supporting the lower end of one of said aprons in its proper spaced relation to the lower end of the other apron, said means serving to permit an increased spacing of the lower apron extremities during the passage of an abnormally large mass of material between the same, and means for communicating rotation to the gin saw cylinder, the brush cylinder, and the two saw cylinders of comparatively small diameter.

6. In a cotton cleaningniechanism, the combination with a toothed rotating axially stationary cylinder, of bat-feeding devices adjacent the cylinder which move the bat A axially thereof.

7. In aV cotton cleaning mechanism, the combination with the relatively large toothed rotating axially stationary cylinder, of the relatively small toothed bat-feeding cyl inder.` adjacent the larger cylinder which compress the bat and move the front edge portion thereof axially of the cylinder.

8. In a cotton cleaning mechanism, the combination of the main rotating toothed cylinder, means for feeding cotton toward vthe cylinder, means for forming a bat of the cotton, and bat-feeding devices which reciprocate axially of the cylinder.

9. In a cotton cleaning machine, the combination of an initial cotton receptacle, means for forming a relatively compact cotton bat, means for enga ging with the front end of the bat and disintegrating it, and batengaging devices which move the bat bodily laterally relatively to the disintegrating devices.

10. In a cotton cleaning machine,the combination of theA rotary toothed cylinder, the initial receptacle for the cotton, means for forming a bat ofthe cotton and advancing it toward the cylinder and supplemental means for reciprocating the bat axially of the cylinder.

Il. In a cotton cleaningv mechanism, thev combination of a rotary toothed cylinder,

an initial receptacle for the cotton, means' for forming a bat therefrom, and means immediately adyacent the cylinder for reciprocating the bat axially of the cylindeiand simultaneously compressing the front edge Y portion of the bat. n f

12. In a cotton cleaning mechanism,Y the combination of a rotary toothed cylinder, an initial receptacle for the cotton, means between saidreceptacle and the cylinder forY forming a. relatively wide thin compact batV and advancing the'front edge thereof toward saidV cylinder, and devices for causing the bat-feeding means to reciprocate the bat axially of the cylinder'.

13. In a cotton cleaning machine, the conihination of a rotating toothed saw cylii'lder,

means for forming a cotton bat and conl-V pressing it, supplemental moans adjacent ythc cylinder for further compressing the hat,

and means for causing the bat to reciprocate having elongated Hat walls formed of down-V wardly converging aprons adapted to compress the downward settling mass of cotton into a relatively compact bat, and having a delivery throat directly over said saw cylinder, and a pair of opposed compacting rollers V.between the said cylinder and the said hopper throat, said rollers being arranged to receive said bat between them and further compress it and being of relatively small diameter, whereby while gripping said hat they deliver its advancing edge directly to the teeth. of the cylinder.

15. In a cotton re-ginning machine having a vertically mounted hopper with two sides formed of converging traveling aprons, a pair of toothed feeding cylinders and a single toothed cylinder, the said pair of feeding cylinders being mounted above said single cylinder to feed cotton radially thereto and means for producing relative reciprocal movement between said single cylinder and said pair of feeding cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameV to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' LOUIS K. STEPHENS. lllitnesses W. J. BARRY, Y B. FoRsYTH.

Gopies of this patent mayY be obtained for five cents each, byr addressing the Commissioner of latenta2 Washington, D. 0.

IIO 

